Cole’s Recap, Day 2: Depart Hotel. Enter subway Oike line. Go one stop to Nijo Station. Exit. View Nijo castle walls. Approach ticket vending machines. BK hand C 10000 Yen notes to pay for 400 Yen tickets. C hands out tickets. Enter castle. B makes donation to earthquake/tsunami relief effort. Enter main gate and castle. Remove shoes. Put on slippers. B requests audio guide. Squeaky floors. Stroll through castle. Tatami. Sliding doors. Explore castle grounds. Cross bridge. Snow flakes. Climb castle walls. View of castle and Kyoto valley. Wander grounds. Plumb blossoms falling to the ground. Enter gift shop heated by kerosene heaters. BK start buying omiyage (souvenirs to take home to friends) and postcards. VC wait and warm toes. C hails taxi. Return to Kyoto Garden Hotel.
Things to Know:
*Built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period
*To protect the shogun from enemies, special creaky floorboards were installed to warn of anyone approaching
*Nijo Castle is one of the most popular attractions in the city of see Kyoto an UNESCO World Heritage site
*Visit ornate palace rooms, ancient fortifications and perfectly manicured gardens
*Nijo Castle represents the power the shogun, or warlords, once held over the emperor during the Edo period
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